A Tail of Two Worlds
by Ruffluv
Summary: Originally written for an "Under The Sea" contest, where at least one character had to be a creature from the deep. Dive in!


**EPOV **

I couldn't seem to find happiness anymore. I felt so alone. I had broken up with Bree, my long-term girlfriend, I felt like I couldn't really relate to my friends, I didn't have much family... nothing. In my state of mind, it really did seem like something I had to do. So I speed walked up the mountains in the woods, went out to the edge of the cliff, and jumped. I just...jumped.

The waves flew at me, heaving, bulging. They held me under, unable to breathe. There was a flash of sunshine under the water just before I went out.

When I came to, I was in a rocky cavern, cluttered with all kinds of crap. A hand was caressing my brow. The hand attached to a toned arm, over which hung bright blond waves, much calmer than the ones that had taken me under the sea.

_That's what I'd seen under the water- this wonderful mane of platinum hair!_

My eyes worked their way up to where it met an incredibly pretty face. _Score!_ Then down a dainty neckline and collar bone. _Bring it!_ Next, to breasts, beautifully formed, enough to fit in my hands. _Hell yeah! Hold up though, what was my head balanced on? Slippery, scaly, fish-like. Fuck!_ I flew up from where I had been down on her she didn't have knees. She had a...tail.

Before I had time to process this, she took off into the depths with me; she was strong! She delivered me to below the very cliffs I'd dived from. With a look of devastation on her face, she flipped her tail out of my sight, somewhere into the secret kingdom she called home.

It was just me once again. _Had she been a near death hallucination? But then how did I get back here alive? _There was so much I didn't know, but about three things I was absolutely certain. One: she wasn't completely human. Two: She had saved my life , and I had returned the favor by hurting her feelings, and three: I had felt an instant connection to her that I had never felt with anyone in my life.

**BPOV **

I beat my tail furiously through the water, trying to beat away the thoughts of my man from dry land, with the lovely long lashes and lots of wild hair. The tides had traveled in and out some times over since I saw him, but still I was bombarded by visions of him.

I would do what I did when I felt weary and depressed; I would watch the humans on the beach from afar as the sun went down, and imagine I was one of them, that I could be part of one of the couples that strolled along, with someone like my jumping man making up the other half.

I watched as a woman with massive glands where I had quite modest ones molested a male till he gave in to her kiss.

_Wait! That's my human! My jumping man with the death wish! Doing with that female with all the right bits what all the other pairs of lovers do. _

I didn't tread water any longer to see what else they did the same as the others; I swam off, my sadness as deep as the ocean beneath me. Not even my one distraction, my comfort was safe for me anymore.

**EPOV **

Apart from trying to set me up with Tanya, who tried to sex me on the beach- denied!- my friends' operation cheer-up-Edward included insisting I join them on the boat for a fishing trip.

The beers were opened, the equipment unloaded, and the conversation was flowing. The topic of choice? Mermaids. _These fuckers had to be messing with me. _

"Man, I'm telling you- that way'd be better, with the boobs and a tail. Boobs are good. I want boobs!" Nick was gesturing, squeezing a pair made of air with his hands.

"Hold on! No, no!" James begged to differ. "Don't you wanna whip that pussy into shape? I'd take a fish head, bottom half girl."

Get what I mean about them not being very relatable?

" Really, Edward, what happened with you and Denali? Didn't you wanna get a grab o' those tits?" Nick was determined to emphasize what his favorite part of the female anatomy was.

"I dunno. I freaked out. She tried it on, but I stopped her." I told them how Tanya had stuck her tongue down my throat, but I'd not been into it, and pushed her away.

"Ah well, Tanya, Bree...forget that shit" James said. "Plenty more fish in the sea..."

_Seriously? _

Soon, I was having more fun; fishing wasn't so terrible. That was until, while casting off, I tumbled from the boat, overboard into icy coldness.

I came round on a remote beach, rescued by my beauty for the second time, tail and all. And this time, I wouldn't be scared away, or scare her away. _How often does life send you a second chance like this? _

I touched the soft skin on her face, wondering how it could be so when she was in water constantly; she was my miracle. I made my move to kiss her, but she hesitated. Initially, I figured it might be because she hadn't ever kissed anyone before, that she may not even know how, but it was almost like she was communicating something else to me when she swept her fingers over my lips, and looked into my eyes.

_Of course! That was the only way she could communicate; she wouldn't know how to speak English, if any language at all. _Somehow, I knew that she had seen me with Tanya, as if she were transmitting her thoughts to me.

I held her hand to my heart, then to hers, hoping to communicate back to her in the same way. I said the words anyway.

"It's all about you. Just you."

There, in the foamy surf, I cherished her. I made love to her. How, you may ask? Well, let's just say there are all kinds of ways to get around not being able to have actual intercourse...Okay, to come over all Nick and James for a moment, let's say she sucked me like the meaning of life lay in my splooge.

She was also very skilled with her hands. I wasn't sure where she learned such things, but I didn't care; they felt fantastic. And when she stopped to tease me, making streams of water tumble from a Conch shell, all over her creamy skin, like something straight out of an age- old fantasy, I almost flipped out.

I fucked her tits, squeezing them around my member, the salt water acting as a lubricant, till I sprayed her just like the surf. And yes, I did weirdly find her tail gave me the horn, like our friend the Conch. Maybe I was crazy, but I didn't care.

Then, as the tide retreated, the most amazing thing happened: her metallic- colored, majestic tail turned to legs. Like actual legs. _With the inbetween bits and everything! _I loved her in the more traditional sense, our shock and surprise- as well as access to a vagina, and a tremendous one at that - taking the sex to another level.

Since it seemed she shifted shape when on dry land for so long, I wanted her to stay with me, which would make her the proverbial fish out of water.

The most pressing matter was covering her up; I didn't want her to get arrested for indecent exposure.

I dressed her in my cable knit Fisherman's jumper, which came down to her knees— she had knees now! That would have to do till I could get her home.

We waited till the sun set over the water out on the horizon, absorbing the view together. Then we waited some more. When it was time, we headed for the coast where my car was parked. She seemed to pick up on what I had in mind, on instinct, moving us through the water as one, her streamlined body breaking through it with ease.

Once on the coast that was more likely to be occupied, I carried her to a secluded spot, so her shape shifting would remain our secret.

When I had her on the road, my thoughts were in overdrive, as well as my mini cooper.

"We're gonna need a name for you" I commented.

"Name" she tried to imitate the sound of the word.

I tapped myself on the chest. "Ed-ward" I said slowly.

She repeated it back to me.

"So, see anything that stands out for you?" I scanned outside the windows quickly.

She did the same, seemingly grasping the concept.

Her eyes settled on something, so I slowed the car to see what got her attention.

It was an Italian bistro with an illuminated sign: "Bella Italia."

_I can't call her Bella Italia! _

"Bella" I compromised.

She bounced in her seat, all cute. My Bella.

We were hermits for a week while I tried to bring her up to speed with life on land today. She picked up a lot of English from watching TV too.

We were able to have some interesting chats, even with her broken English.

"Why you jump?" She said out of the blue.

"Because I was sad."

" Entire water of sea can't sink ship unless get inside. Sad in world can't get you down unless get inside you."

Not just a pretty face-or tail...

I was enjoying caring for her, and helping her care for herself in my world. I wanted it to stay that way forever, but I had to start introducing her to people, and see if she could blend in.

Then came the problems.

People took a shine to her, but there were those that were suspicious; they'd talk amongst one another, ask more questions than normal...

"I just can't make head nor tails of her" I heard one heckler say, which was very humorous.

We never should have had a party, but Nick was adamant that we had to celebrate me finding my soul mate.

Nick had ankle nippers, and the sun had his hat on, so the plan was a barbecue while the kids played in the back.

We'd barely arrived when Nick got Bella in a bear hug, then hung her over his shoulder.

SPLASH!

He'd sunk her into the kids' paddling pool.

_Shit! _

_So much water!_ Enough so that Bella's started to transform into her true self.

There were screams and shouts as I scooped her up.

I would save her from this, just as she'd saved me.

I was sea-bound, with the intention of setting her free. I would sacrifice my shot at happiness for her, so that she didn't have to live on the run, in constant fear; that's what real love was.

It had been the wrong thing to do, to bring her here; I saw that now. We couldn't bend her to fit in in this world, or other people to accept her any more than you could give the ocean direction.

I got her to the water's edge in time when she told me: I could survive in the water, as long as I was with her.

I had nothing to lose— at least nothing that came close to her. She brought me back to life and taught me a valuable lesson.

I jumped from the cliffs once more, into my future, because although there may be more fish in the sea, my Bella's the one for me...


End file.
